What is Green Social Prescribing? Supported by South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation and South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Integrated Care System, Darnall Well Being is involving people in group activities to access different green spaces within Sheffield, South Yorkshire and the Peak District.
How Does It Work?
The project is aimed at people who are experiencing isolation, loneliness or stress, living with mental health conditions or long-term physical health conditions. We support them to remove barriers in accessing green spaces to improve physical and mental health and general wellbeing. All the walks are guided, and are supported by our staff and volunteers.
The project provides transport expenses, to encourage people to access local parks and further afield places in the Peak District by using public transport. This initiative will enhance people’s confidence and knowledge, so that they know how to revisit the locations we go to with others – and we’re finding that plenty of participants are keen to take family and friends back to show them newly discovered places!
How Can I Join In?
People living in Darnall, Tinsley and Handsworth who are experiencing loneliness, isolation or long term health conditions can be referred to our Green Social Prescribing sessions by a GP or other healthcare provider, or they can refer themselves direct to us. If you’d like to book onto these walks with us, please contact Jo on 07904 281825/0114 249 6315 or by email: joanne.hopkinson@darnallwellbeing.org.uk
Where Do You Go?
So far, we have been to Sheffield Botanical Gardens, Victoria Quays, Weston Park Museum & Garden, and Sheffield Canal – and there are plenty more walks planned throughout the rest of 2022, including some in the Peak District.
Jo Hopkinson, our Move More Development Worker, has been planning and organising the walks, and says we are already seeing the benefits and importance of GSP. She talked about how much she enjoyed being at the Botanical Gardens with the group, and seeing “the women looking at all the plants in the greenhouse [at Botanical Gardens] and saying how it reminded them of home, and showing me how they used certain plants as sweeping brushes, etc.” And a Somali woman on the Botanical Gardens walk described seeing plants in the greenhouse as “a taste of home and the countryside”.
Jo shared lots more lovely feedback that participants had given after coming on two of the walks:
Guided Walk & Craft Activity at Victoria Quays
“relaxing”
“first time seen Victoria Quays and lived here 21 years”
“forgot my knee pain”
“encouraging, fabulous scenery”
“open up to nature”
“fulfilling”
“great”
Best bits of the day were “nature, walk, friendship”
Best bits of the day were “ scenery and art work”
“happiness”
“Enjoyed finding out about history and the steel industry”
“arts and crafts with friends”
Botanical gardens guided walk
“excellent, will definitely repeat”
“wonderful” & “will bring my children”
“excellent day, very informative”
“very social”
“refreshing”
“good, very nice, beautiful flowers”
“interesting information about nature and different flowers”